2.21.2008

Protesters Vandalize U.S. Embassy in Belgrade

The Serbians have now boiled over with regard to Kosovo’s Declaration of Independence of last week. (Just saw story break on CNN, though I have not seen anything at the site of my favorite Croatian newspaper). I knew this was going to be bad--ouch, they just got to the American flag at the embassy and are attempting to set it afire.I recently wrote about a United Nations visit that touches upon this issue.Protests that started last week have exlpoded into rioting, and the American embassy in the capital has not been spared as far as this display of anger goes.In Astoria, I grew up around many people who emigrated from the former Yugoslavia, some even have the same DNA as me, and when the war first started, I learned most of my friends are Croatian, Istrian, or Macedonian, anything but Serbian, so this is personal for me.My heartfelt sympathies go out to all the people of the former Yugoslavia, it is an incredible land of beauty, leisure, beaches, open cafes, and clubs.But also a land with a long history of strife and hegemony.Who will our next president appoint to address this issue? We have had troops there for years.